And I really, really fucking like how my name sounds on her lips.
“I thought it was better than, say, an Evans or Fletcher jersey.”
“Damn. Don’t let them hear you say that.”
“Nah.” The corners of her mouth pull into a bigger smile. “I have my favorite player.”
“Wow. I’m your favorite? You have good taste. I feel the need to impress you now.”
She shakes her head. “You’ve already impressed me by lacing up your skates tonight. I could never skate.”
“I bet you could if you tried.”
“Is this an offer to give me lessons?” Genevieve takes a step toward me. Even with the smell of the rink and gear around me, I get a whiff of her perfume.
Something floral and sweet.
“If I had the time between my own skating and you singing.”
“Maybe in another life.”
I smile down at her as the lights in the rink go dark. I wish I could continue this conversation with her, but in about thirty seconds, I’ll be skating on the ice to the roar of the crowd.
Something about talking to her feels familiar. Easy. It’s like I’m not talking to a pop star, and she doesn’t seem to see me just as a hockey star.
“I guess that’s your cue,” she says.
“It is. It was nice to meet you, Genevieve.”
“Likewise, Jasper.”
I wink at her as I take a step back. “Good luck. Don’t mess up the national anthem.”
She holds up crossed fingers to me. “Then I should say thanks and good luck to you. Don’t mess up your passing.”
There’s that niggling feeling again. That feeling that something about her is familiar. Maybe it’s because I see her face on all those billboards. Our rink is close to downtown, so I see her all the time driving in and out.
That has to be it.
“Thanks.” I nod to her as one of the guys calls out to me. “Got to go.”
Her eyes widen a fraction of an inch before she waves at me.
Every thought of Genevieve goes out of my mind.
It’s game time.
Chapter Four
QUINN
Holy shit. I just had a conversation with Jasper Hayes.
No, not Jasper Hayes.
TheFriendlyGhostJasper. My Jasper.
The guy I’ve been messaging with for months. The one that I can’t bring myself to meet because…because why?
